Explosive.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ RASCHIG, OF LUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-BHINE, GERMANY.

EXYLOSI'VE.

1,072,032. Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fmrz Brilsou o, doctor of philosophy, chemist, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Ludwigshafenon-the-Rhine Germany, have invented a new and use ul Impr 'cment in Explosives, of which the fOllOWWlZ is a'specification.

This invention ..r"elates to explosives, and it comprises anxplosive containing as es sential ingredients the solid fiber constituents f und in the waste liquors of the soda and the sulfate pulp process and an oxidizs ge It further comprises a process of producing such an explosive; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In the manufacture of paper pulp by the soda process almost all of the non-cellulose constituents of the Wood, straw, grass or other fiber used are dissolved or converted into .a soluble form by the alkali, and are thus separated from the cellulose and obtained in the form of a solution which is commonly known in the art as soda Waste or soda waste liquors. In the case of soft Woods, such as poplar, the fiber of which is made up largely of ligno-cellulose, the action of the alkali is to resolve this compound cellulose into the cellulose or paper stock and the lignin and other alkali soluble or extractive constituents. Some of the cellulose itself may also be dissolved or destroyed and be present in the resulting Waste liquors. In the case of certain fibers used in pulp or paper making, such as esparto grass or fiber, which is made up largely of pecto-ccllulosesa similar action of dissolution or resolution of the non-cellulose constituents takes place. Small amounts of silica present in the fiber are dissolved as alkali silicate. The action of the alkali on such fibers is to dissolve all of the alkalisoluble constituents--often amounting to half or more than half of the total Weight of the crude fiber treated-and to give a solution containing the lignin (in the case of ligno-cellulose) and the various other wood extructives. The alkali itself is gradually neutralized during the process and is present in the resulting solution for the most part combined with the various substances dissolved. Resins, in greater or less amount, are also present in the waste liquors, either resulting from the action of the alkali upon the extracted substances, or dissolved from the fiber itself. The novel 'mixed to form the ex losive.

. explosives of the present invention are made up of these alkali-waste constituents and an oxidizing agent, Any free alkali present in the alkal -Waste constituents is advantaeously neutralized, as by the addition of C lilute sulfuric acid, the sodium sulfate, in small amount, remaining with the ex 10- sive ingedients. More or less of the a all combined with the extracted ingredients may also in some cases be neutralized.

Inmaking the novel explosives of the present invention the soda waste liquors containing the extracted ingredients of the fiber in solution are advantageousl first concentrated and evaporated to dryness. The dry residue and the oxidizing agent are then The mixing can be carried out to orm a more intimate and homogeneous mixture by adding water to the dry residue and dry oxidizing agent to partly or completely dissolve the same, and by evaporating the Water in a vacuum drier, or by running the liquid solution or paste in. a regulated stream on to a moving surface or roller heated by steam to 100 C. or above, or maintained in oao'wo at a lower temperature. For example, 35 parts of the dry residue obtained by evaporating soda Waste liquor obtained from soft Patented Sept. 2, 1913. Application as February 15, 1913. Serial No. 748,619.

wood, such as poplar, and 65 parts of nitrate of sodium are dissolved partly or completely in water and the water evaporated in a vacuum drier to give the desired explosive. When the dry residue and the dry oxidizing agent are mixed dry the residue is advantageously first ground or pulverized and obtained in a finely divided condition before mixing in the mixing machine. It is, however, in general more advantageous to mix the ingredients in solution or in a liquid or semi-liquid form so that the mixing is a Wet, distinguishable from a dry, mixing. A more intimate intermixture and greater homogeneity of product is thus obtainable, the particles of the product being made up in whole or in part of both ingredients. The completeness of combustion is thus promoted and formation of smoke minimized.

Instead of first entirely drying the residue the oxygen carrier can be added. before complete evaporation and dissolved or partly dissolved in the liquid or semi-liquid residue, and the evaporation then completed. The evaporation of the solution can also be effected according to the process more fully described and claimed in my prior Patent as Vaseline, wax, etc., can be added to the exingredients, or with modifying agents or No. 1,056,367, which process it is not deemed necessary to describe more in detail here.

Instead of the sodium nitrate referred to above as oxidizing agent, other suitable oxidizing agents can be used, but ammonium nitrate can not be used where the soda of the soda waste liquors still remains in the mixture owing to the decomposing action of the stronger alkali upon the ammonium compound.

The explosives of the present invention owing to the fact that they are made from the soda' Waste residue contain resins or resinous substances and as a result can be more easily pressed into hard cylinders or into other suitable forms, the resinous matter acting as an efl'ective binding and consolidating agent.

The explosives described can be used as such alone or combined with other explosive diluents. Small amounts of such materials plosives;,or film-forming solutions to coat the particles of the explosive.

;Variations and modifications can be made in the processes and products above described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the,

accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. An explosive comprising soda waste constituents of the soda pulp process and an oxidizing agent.

2. An explosive comprising soda waste constituents of the soda pulp process and sodium nitrate.

3. An explosive comprising the alkali soluble constituents of wood fiber and an oxidizin agent.

4. in explosive comprising the alkali soluble constituents of Wood fiber and sodium nitrate.

5. An explosive comprising the alkali soluble lignin constituents of ligno-celluloses and an oxidizing agent.

6. An explosive comprising the alkali soluble lignin constituents of ligno-celluloses and sodium nitrate.

7. An explosive comprising about parts of the alkali soluble constituents of Wood fiber and 65 parts of 'sodium nitrate.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

FRITZ WRASCHIG.

Witnesses:

FRITZ DERVENICH, JOSEPH PFEIrFnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Patents,

I Washington, D. 0. 

